Reproductive Physiology & Pathophysiology
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Skand Shekhar, M.D., M.H.Sc.
Principal Investigator;
Assistant Research Physician -
Tel 301-451-1866
[email protected] -
111 Tw Alexander DrClinical Research Unit / Modular ClinicResearch Triangle Park, NC 27709
Research Summary
Skand Shekhar, M.D., M.H.Sc., is a clinician investigator in endocrinology and reproduction with a special interest in studying the relationship between metabolism and reproductive disorders. As the deputy leader of the Reproductive Physiology and Pathophysiology group led by Janet E. Hall, M.D., M.S., at NIEHS, Shekhar attends to patients with metabolic and genetic disorders of reproductive endocrine function, including idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), Kallmann syndrome, puberty disorders, menstrual disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). His research studies the interplay between lifestyle, sleep, diet, and the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis in humans focused on the interaction between stress (cortisol), thyroid, and reproductive axes. He has additional interests in rare neoplasms such as Cushing syndrome and Erdheim-Chester disease.
Shekhar is the principal investigator of the OBSERVE Study, a clinical study of reproductive endocrine disorders and environmental factors and a lead investigator on multiple NIEHS/NIH protocols, including The Role of Gonadotropin Pulsations in the Regulation of Puberty and Fertility (12-E-0050), the Molecular Basis of Inherited Reproductive Disorders (12-E-0049), Carefree Study (Calorie Restriction, Environment, and Fitness: Reproductive Effects Evaluation) (16-E-0157). In addition, he serves on several committees for the NIH, NIEHS, the Endocrine Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and served as the interim medical director of the NIEHS Clinical Research Unit (2023-2024). As a core faculty member of NIH’s Inter-institute Endocrinology Training Program, Shekhar is involved in the training of clinical and research fellows and serves as an attending physician on the endocrinology and diabetes consult service at NIH Clinical Center
Shekhar completed his clinical and research training in adult endocrinology at NIH, focusing on reproductive endocrinology, under Hall’s mentorship, and received a Masters in Health Sciences from Duke University School of Medicine. Previously, Shekhar attended medical school at the University of Delhi, India, followed by residency training in internal medicine and chief medical residency at Saint Peter’s University Hospital/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. He is board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Additionally, he serves as an editor and reviewer for high-impact scientific journals. He is an elected fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh, UK).